The Final Firework
by Elinde
Summary: It's Bilbo's 60th birthday and therefore just over 10 years since he returned to The Shire from his adventure. The remaining Dwarves have all sent him presents but the 11th present's sender is unknown... *in Hobbit category due to characters used*


**Disclaimer: none of the characters belong to me. **

My appologies for all the typing and grammatical errors. I was tired when I wrote this and didn't read it through properly! I hope they are all corrected now. And a huge thank you to all who have reviewed already, many of which have not reviewed my work before.

Enjoy!

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It was September 22nd. Bilbo was 60 and still quite young for a Hobbit. It was 10 years since he had gone gallivanting off with Gandalf and the thirteen Dwarves so he had decided to invite them to his party. Unfortunately, none of the Dwarves were able to come, but Gandalf was on his way, or so the Hobbits from across The Water and in Buckland said: and to most of the Hobbits Gandalf meant fireworks.

The main road out of Hobbiton was lined with people, waiting for the Wizard and, more importantly, his wagon full of fireworks, to come into view. Many of the Hobbits had never seen his fireworks but they were renowned throughout Middle-Earth; not that any would be let off before nightfall.

About mid afternoon, the sound of wheels reached the ears of the assembled Hobbits. The conversation grew louder and louder as the Wizard drew nearer and nearer to his destination. Hobbit children scampered onto the road, straining their eyes to catch a glimpse of the famous Istar. When he did not appear at once, some of the children wondered if he were coming at all, but when they voiced this concern to their parents they were told to be patient. Their patience paid off.

After what seemed hours to the children but was in fact hardly any time at all, first his horse, then his cart appeared round the bend. The children's eyes lit up and they ran back into the village with cries of:

"It's Gandalf: it's Gan-dalf!"

"He's here! The fireworks man is here!"

From his seat on the front step of Bag End, Bilbo listened to the clamour below. He smiled and drew deeply on his pipe, the same pipe that he had been smoking when Gandalf first came to see him a decade ago: it seemed like so much longer ago to Mr. Baggins. Unlike the children, Bilbo knew that Gandalf was indeed here on fireworks business which is why he was able to sit and wait.

Presently, Gandalf's horse and cart came into view, slowly making its way to Bag End. Gandalf stopped his horse in front of the gate and looked out from under his hat at his friend.

"Smoking again, I see," said he. "I don't suppose you would care to light my pipe for me?"

"I wouldn't mind at all, Mr. Gandalf. I'll even give you some of my Old Toby, if you wish."

"How very kind of you. I think I shall take you up on your offer, in fact."

"Well, come down from your cart and I'll see what we have!"

Bilbo got up, dusted himself off and went inside while Gandalf took a bag from the back of his cart and followed his host.

Inside, papers were strewn everywhere. They told of a wide variety of things: invitation replies, food lists, sketched maps and scribbled notes. Gandalf put his cloak and staff in the hall and made his way into the kitchen, still holding the bag. He sat down at the table while Bilbo, who had decided that a little something was required, bustled around him.

"Happy birthday, by the way." Gandalf said, giving up on following Bilbo's movements with his eyes.

"Oh, thank you, thank you very much."

"You have started writing your memoirs, I see."

"Well, I've started to make notes. It'll take a long time to write it all out in neat."

Gandalf nodded slowly.

"Yes, it will take a while, but it will be worth it when it is finished!"

Bilbo looked at his guest in the shiny bottom of a pan.

"I know that look. What are you thinking?"

"Wha-? Oh, nothing."

"Fine, keep your secrets. I'll know them, one day. Would you like some tea? And perhaps a slice of seed cake! I remember when Glóin asked for seed cake, the cheek! And Bombur asking for pork pie. Why, they seemed to know more about my larder than I did-"

Bilbo continued to talk in this manner while Gandalf read a document on the table. It was a list of party expenses. Gandalf was surprised at how much was being spent, though he knew where the money was coming from.

"You are still reaping the benefits of your reward then."

"Don't tell them!" Bilbo squeaked. "They would be horrified if they knew why this party was so grand!"

"Oh, really." Gandalf mumbled. Bilbo scuttled across the kitchen to him.

"Don't you dare tell them."

"Don't worry, I won't."

Bilbo didn't believe him, but his distrust was soon pushed from his mind when he noticed the bag by Gandalf's side.

"Shall I put that in the hall for you?"

"No, but you can look into it."

"What's in it?"

"Presents from the Dwarves. They are all sorry that they are unable to come."

"Well, it's a long way to come."

"Yers. There's a list in there of what each Dwarf gave you."

"Ten presents? That's a lot!" Bilbo took each thing out of the bag and put it on the table, looking at the list to see who it was from. "Ha! Glóin has sent me some Dorwinion wine!"

"Yes. He and the Elvenking have a rocky friendship."

"How come?" Bilbo asked, gobsmacked.

"It turns out that the two of them have more in common than they would like to admit." Gandaldf chuckled. "But Thranduil does not love the Dwarves and Glóin does not love the Elves. I get the impression that if anything goes wrong each will hate the other again as quick as you can blink."

Bilbo grinned. That sounded more like the Glóin and the Elvenking he knew.

All the presents were now accounted for, but as Bilbo reached into the bag, his fingers touched something cold and smooth. His fingers closed around it and he drew out a small phial filled with a clear liquid.

"What's in here?" He asked.

"Water."

"_Water?_"

"Water in which magic is being held. It was sent by another who wished to send their congratulations. Tonight, when I have let off all the fireworks but one, open the phial."

oOo

As the last of Gandalf's fireworks span out over the fields and exploded in a dazzling flower of purple, the watching Hobbits cheered. Bilbo put his fingers in his mouth and wolf whistled, and then carried on clapping. He then remembered the file. He took it out of his pocket and turned it over and over in his hands. The water inside sparkled, as if it was crying out to be released. Bilbo opened the file.

All the fires around the party field went out. The guests started and stared around them, looking for the place where the flames had gone. Twinkling, red lights sprang up from the ground amongst the Hobbits and around the last firework in Gandalf's cart, which he had just stuck in the ground and ignited.

But this firework didn't whizz up into the sky when its fuse had run out. Instead, delicate, green tendrils, like wisps of smoke, spread upwards from the ground, entwining in each other, wrapping tighter and tighter until they formed the trunk of an ancient beech tree. This tree rose up, higher and higher, changing from green to silver. It grew buttress roots; and branches that spread out far into the sky, across the heads of the Hobbits. On the branches, leaf buds formed, like green gems wrought of fire. These opened out into leaves which slowly turned orange and fell, spinning to the ground, breaking up into no more than glittering wisps of smoke a few inches from the ground. The branches and roots of the now skeletal tree retracted back into the trunk, which crackled and fizzed. Without warning, it turned into a Catherine-wheel; which span up and away from Hobbiton before exploding, sending Purple Emperor butterflies with fiery tails out in all directions. Then, even these were gone.

The little fires on the ground changed colour, some to green, others to purple, their flames shooting upwards before sinking back down and disappearing as if someone had kicked dirt over them. The original fires caught light again and the whole field erupted with applause.

Bilbo went to find Gandalf who was tidying up the debris.

"That final firework was amazing! How did you do it?" Bilbo asked.

"I didn't. A friend gave it to me; the same friend who gave you that phial."

"But who sent me it? It wasn't mentioned on the list!"

"He must have slipped it in when I wasn't looking. He is very illusive in his ways."

Bilbo's mouth formed a perfect 'O' as he realised who the friend was.

"When you next see him, tell him his firework was the best ever seen in the Shire."

Gandalf chuckled.

"I shall gladly."

A few days later, Gandalf left the Shire for wherever it was he went to, his tobacco pouch full to bursting with Old Toby. Bilbo stood at the end of the lane which led up to Bag End and waved the Wizard good-bye until he was out of sight. Mr. Baggins then turned and went home.

On the kitchen table, he found a pile of papers bound together with string. He undid the knot rather than cut the threads, one never knew when string would come in handy. The papers were in fact very lifelike pictures and a map of Mirkwood. The note included was written in an elegant, italic hand using green ink. It said:

_Dear Mr. Bilbo Baggins, Elf friend,_

_It has been ten years since we parted, not long at all for us. I do not know how long your kindred find it. _

_I hope your birthday is a very happy occasion for you and your friends. I do believe that Mithrandir will be there with you, giving a fireworks display. I gave him my gift to you and your kin as he passed through the Greenwood on his way to your pleasant lands. These pictures have been drawn by many different people, myself included. I hope that they, and the map, help you with your memoirs: Mithrandir informed me that you are making a start this year. I wish you all the best with this also. _

_It is a great pleasure to remind you and your kin are most welcome to travel through my lands whenever you please. We would dearly like to see you again._

_Best wishes. _

Below followed a signature in Tengwar that was almost illegible, but Bilbo didn't need to decipher it to know who the eleventh friend was. He sat at the table and read the letter through again.

"Well, Bilbo, you _have _got yourself friends in very high places!"

_I meth_


End file.
